Chapter 4
Wade really hadn’t expected to see Viv that day. He thought she had been avoiding him since their initial meeting in the field when he’d yelled at her. Granted, she’d scared the shit out of him. He thought she would be killed by a rampaging herd of cattle. Then she’d turned her hazel eyes on him and lit into him like it was all his fault. He’d been distracted by the way she’d felt against him, the way her body had fit his, and how much he wanted to feel her again, without the barrier of clothes.
He’d met a lot of guests in his years working on the Buchanan ranch. Hell, he’d grown up there since his parents died when he was a kid. Over the years, several guests had come to the ranch looking for more than the advertised activities. Some of them wanted what wasn’t on the menu. Time with an authentic cowboy. He’d had propositions from women, and sometimes men, to show him what it was really like to ride a cowboy and save a horse, and he wasn’t too proud to admit that he occasionally took women up on the offers. He often worked seven days a week and had little time to find relationships outside of the ranch. He didn’t like to date where he worked—though, for Miss Viv Kendrick, he was considering breaking that rule, just this once. He sensed she would be worth it.
Since the day they met, though, she’d avoided him like he had an STD. He shrugged it off, though he couldn’t help thinking about her, looking for her every time he had to come to the guesting side of the ranch. But he never saw her, not until today, and he could resist teasing her. He never expected her to rise to his challenge, not when she seemed so intimidated by horses. He’d seen the way she froze when Durango lipped at the pink-tipped cap of blond hair she rocked. While she didn’t show her fear by screaming and freaking out like so many others, she had frozen in place, not moving a muscle. He was determined to ensure this woman would overcome that fear and be full of life again.
He led out the placid gelding, Durango, who’d already shown an interest in Viv. He tied Durango to the fence and gestured for Viv to come closer, noting that she had found boots and a hat in the equipment stall as he’d directed.
“Make friends with Durango while I saddle Cisco. He won’t hurt you.” He handed her a couple of apple slices and put one on his flat palm, holding it out for Durango, who lipped it politely.“See? He’s very gentle.”
She eyed the big gelding doubtfully, but reached out a hand with an apple slice and held steady for him to take it. She let out a relieved breath when he did, leaving her fingers alone. She turned excited eyes on him.“He didn’t eat my hand!”
“Of course not. He’s not a carnivore. He’s a very polite horse. Now, stroke him and show him some love while I saddle Cisco.”
He stepped away and watched her for a few minutes. She ran her hands along the horse’s neck and face, crooning softly, laughing lightly when he’d snort and bob his head. Wade’s jeans tightened, a constant state around Viv as he imagined her doing the same to him, and he cursed under his breath. He never thought he’d be jealous of a fucking horse.
A short while later, they rode out from the stables. It had been an adventure getting Viv on the horse and Wade finally getting his hands on her fine ass. He was lucky she hadn’t slapped him when his hands lingered a few seconds too long, but he wanted to make sure she was situated. Yeah, that was the reason. Or that was what he would tell her if she asked. But she didn’t.
Durango was patient, and he kept them at a walk to let Viv get accustomed to the feel of the horse. Slowly she let go of the death grip on the reins and her knees loosened around the barrel of the horse and she began to rock with his movements.
“There you go. Feeling better yet?”
“The ground is still a long way off,” she grumbled.
“Then don’t fall off.”
“Easy for you to say. You were probably born in the saddle, while I was born in a perfectly normal place.”
He stared out over the waving grass, but not really seeing any of it.“Actually, I was born in a hospital in Colorado. Not on a ranch or even to a ranching family.”
“What?” Her exclamation made her body jerk, and she clutched Durango’s mane to keep herself from sliding.“I thought you were a Buchanan.”
He shrugged.“I am a Buchanan, just not one of these Buchanans. Not exactly.”
She frowned, her brow furrowing, but for once, she didn’t say anything, just waited. Finally, he let out a breath.“My parents were distant cousins of Daniel, Michael’s father. Second cousins or something. We moved to Colorado years ago, and I knew nothing about this branch. We weren’t a close family. Of course, I was eight, so what did I know? I was focused on sports, my friends, my life.”
“That’s only natural. You were a kid. Most kids barely know their immediately family and often want to escape them as often as possible. They might know some cousins if they grew up with them, but anything beyond that?” She shrugged.
“Do you have cousins?”
She smiled a bit ruefully.“I grew up with my cousins. My dad and Uncle William are brothers. They inherited Westwards Vineyard together and each run it. So, we all grew up on it, working on it, and were expected to have a place there when we grew up.”
“So, how did you get out here from a vineyard? Cows and wine aren’t exactly a pairing you expect, except at dinner.”
“Yeah, it’s not going over well. I’m kind of the oddball of the family, in case my hair didn’t tell you that already.”
His gaze traveled over the pink-tipped cap of blond hair that he wanted to run his hands through. He usually liked longer hair on a woman, but her tousled head looked adorable and fit her exuberant personality. Again, not something he was accustomed to finding attractive.“Well, Durango thought it looked tasty.”
She cast him a sideways glance.“And you? I can’t imagine it fits into the cowboy way.”
He took off his hat and ran his hand over his close-cropped brown hair.“I don’t think pink is my color, but it suits you, Viv.”
She laughed, the sound startling a couple of birds nearby and a goat who lifted its head from where it was grazing. He jutted his chin.“There’s one of our runaways now.”
“Goatis. Gilbert must be around somewhere.” She cast her gaze over the expanse and then pointed.“Over there.”
He shook his head.“Too bad there isn’t a demand for goat meat.”
She stared at him, horrified.“You’re kidding, right?”
He swung off his horse.“Maybe.”
He secured the first goat and handed her the leash. Seriously. Who named these things? He headed for the second one, who danced away.“Gilbert, no.”
He used the firm voice he had when training Festus and Cisco, and it had the desired effect. Gilbert froze long enough for him to attach the leash. He led the goat to Cisco and mounted.“Let’s head back. They’ll keep up just fine as long as we stay at a walk. I’m tempted to trot just to tire them out. But we won’t.”
They walked on for a few moments, then Viv spoke.“You never told me how you got here.”
“No, I didn’t. That’s a story for another time. Maybe.”